


Dwarrowhearts

by Grumpel



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: AU, Brothers Lionheart inspired, F/M, Gen, I like my Thorin grumpy with a dash of humour, Kíli is a flirt, M/M, Major Character Death but only in the beginning, death is not the end, fili is shy, not quite a BOTFA fix-it, smutless for now, what if
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-23 04:53:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4863857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grumpel/pseuds/Grumpel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a dwarrow of Middle Earth dies it is commonly believed that he or she passes into the Halls of Waiting, meets (surely with lots of bunting) ancestors, does some partying ... well, you get the point. There are also rumours that they may be reincarnated (hello, Durin the Deathless!) and live out many more lives in that manner. </p><p>Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, dies after a heroic fight during the Battle of the Five Armies.  His nephews, FIli and Kili are killed as well as during the battle. However, unlike common folklore and that popular novel indicate, this is not where it ends.</p><p>What if Thorin, Fili and Kili are moving on with their souls intact into a land away from Middle Earth? What if Astrid Lindgren's Nangijala and Nangilima are closer than we think?</p><p>Bilbo after the BoTFA summarized in a song: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnGdoEa1tPg">System of a Down: Lonely Day</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The End

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Winter Tales](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2575127) by [Torun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Torun/pseuds/Torun). 
  * Inspired by [The World Has Changed... And The Gods Make Movies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4362302) by [Dreaten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreaten/pseuds/Dreaten). 



> May 20, 2016 Aaaand - other story is done, plus I feel motivated to go back to this story so I hope to have a few chapters coming up soon.
> 
> March 17, 2016 Update: I'm almost back! I had to take a little break from this back in November - I was able to finish off 5 chapters because I had written them in draft / rough form already. I hope to do the same again so I don't take too long a break between the next few chapters. I have to admit that I have no idea yet where this story is going so I have a feeling that I will probably continue to release chapters in a similar off-on pattern unless I suddenly get struck by a massive inspiration with lots of time to work on it and an ending that does not make me want to sink into the ground with embarrassment. See you soon I hope!
> 
> Dec 21, 2015 Update: I have not forgotten about this story - it's just that these past four weeks have been incredibly busy. I hope to pick it up again once the holidays slow down my other "stuff to do". Sorry about this.
> 
> \------------------
> 
> Thanks for taking an interest in this story! 
> 
> I have a few chapters already written but they will need re-reading, editing and polishing. I invite you to subscribe to this story now and promise that I will put up the first chapter by end of October (if not earlier). The main reason for doing this is so I can have a substantial amount of chapters / plot in draft form so you won't have to worry about getting stuck in the story at some point in time with me shrugging "I'm sorry, I am all out of ideas. Goodbye." I do not have a great track record for finishing stories, even short ones (I always end up setting up scenarios that I find I cannot solve) - but not this time! 
> 
> Oh, I am very open to suggestions that fit within the story once the chapters are flowing, and I might occasionally put a question out to you to get a sense of where you see this story going.
> 
> Also working on [this playlist](http://milq.com/bead/writing-about-tolkien-dwarves-in-a-human-world) while writing this.  
> Inspired by the creativity of [EldritchMage](http://archiveofourown.org/users/EldritchMage/pseuds/EldritchMage) in general.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope this story evokes some laughs, warm fuzzy feelings and / or stirs some ponderings about life in general. Cheers :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin awakens and finds out that he is not in the Halls of Waiting. No dialogue, just a lot of pantomime (I kid, I kid)

Thorin had an inkling that watching his own funeral would not be a pleasant experience.

What he did not expect was the heavy grief that enveloped him him when he saw the other two tombs, and on the top of them, the bodies of his favourite - and only - nephews, Fili and Kili.

Even if they were in fact standing right beside him hidden in the shadows, watching the same somber procession.

He had all the reasons in the world for the gloomy emotions which kept pointing him to the fact that, yes, he had dragged them along his single-minded determination to reclaim the kingdom under the mountain. And how could he forget that they had lost their lives to the sheer cruelty of the war that was a direct result of his actions and madness? Despite the numerous assurances that they would do it all over again in exactly the same manner as it had unfolded, and despite their youthful insistence that as adult dwarves they were entitled to make their own choices, he knew that what they had given to him and the kingdom could never be repaid.  And yet here they were, even in death, following him, pledging themselves to uphold the honor of the line of Durin.

Except that Durin’s line no longer mattered.

Thorin lost the certainties that had bound his life to the good of Middle Earth - a dark voice inside him told him that they were no longer part of Arda. Seeing the funeral and the finality of their still bodies made it clear that what had been would no longer be. And it was all his fault.

When he felt his broken body and saw his life slowly fade in the eyes of Bilbo, he had readied himself for the arrival at the Hall of Waiting where his ancestors would welcome him. He had experienced the joy of finally being reunited with his parents and grandfather.

Instead, he woke up on the frozen ground alone, staring up into in the starry darkness, in the same spot where he had closed his eyes for the last time. At first, he thought that he had somehow come back from his lethal injuries; but as he looked around he noticed that his senses were not quite the same anymore: As he forcefully blinked his eyes to clear the blurriness of his vision, the fog did not lift from his sight but instead started to shimmer and sway. And with a shock he noticed that he could detect neither sound nor smell.

The shimmer illuminated the landscape around him and began to highlight every broken body part and spilled blood before him as if someone had decided to saturate them with a glossy sheen. He closed his eyes in horror but the image of the lifeless scene before had already burned into his mind. He send a thanks to Mahal for the lack of scent for he would have surely emptied the contents of his bowel if he had been met with the full visceral sensation of his surroundings.

Especially when he sat up and saw the massive hole in his chest.

Blood was still trickling out from the wound, winding its way down slowly through the seams in the clotted brown mass covering his torso, the evidence of the massive loss of blood prior to his waking up. But there was no pain. And he was breathing as evenly as if he was merely taking a light stroll across a meadow.

The dwarven king rolled onto one side and pushed into his hands to straighten up, slowly moving into a his habitual stance, with his feet grounded solidly, knees slightly bent and his upper body hovering right over his center of gravity. Still, no pain and no weakness in his limbs. And no other living soul as far as he could see. And no weapons, as far as he could see.

Somehow, he had ended up in a limbo.

He was wandering on the side of the mountain for a half of a full hour when he spotted two figures coming up from the other side of the mountain, figures that could recognize anywhere.

Fili and Kili.

Without any thought he opened his mouth and roared but there was still no sound coming out of him. Yet they responded, lifting their heads to stare into his direction, then launching into a full run. They crashed into him with fierce abandon, and he gathered them into an intense hug, hearing their relief and laughter in his mind.

It was in their minds that he found out how they had died, finding each other in close proximity near the countless orc corpses. They had woken up before him and had wandered for hours. It was then when they had discovered with dismay that a lack of senses was not the only new oddity in their lives: Unlike Thorin, they had come across others - even Bombur and Bofur who had been searching in the fields - but when they stepped toward them with great relief, there was neither recognition nor response, and when they tried to clasp Bofur’s shoulders, their hands had disintegrated, only to reform when they had passed through Bofur’s body.

Not knowing what to do, they had followed them as they continued walking through the battlefields, until they had come across Fili’s body, and not long after, found the rest of the company gathered around Kili’s pale body. Now they knew where they had to take Thorin.

Together they watched as the rest of the company bidded them their goodbyes. Thorin noted with sadness that a certain diminutive hairy footed halfling was missing.

Kili was openly shedding tears; Fili’s eyes were merely flushed but they all felt the impact of the sorrow that rooted them at the spot where they stood, helpless to do anything else.

It was when dawn peaked above the horizon that they noticed a new object that appeared in their peripheral vision.

It was an oval surface of some sort, filled with the same shimmering fog that was surrounding them but far denser and more volatile in its movement. The surface rippled, revealing a tiny crack that was slowly expanding into a sizable fissure. And Thorin felt a pull: A soothing sensation was bidding him to reach out and push the crack further, widening the gap further.  The inside of the gap was completely veiled but he felt a new sense calmness emanating from it.

Kili was still looking with despair at the dwarven gathering, not ready to turn his eyes away from the familiar faces that he loved but Fili watched his uncle, mirroring the wonder that shone from his uncle’s eyes.

It was a determined Thorin who finally stepped away from the oval to approach his nephews and wrap his arms around them tightly, gently turning them away from the mourning scene and toward the gap. Together they stepped through it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I'm not completely happy with Chapter 1 but I thought I would try writing without dialogue. Which means that what you see will likely undergo a few changes as I go further down the story. 
> 
> I appreciate your patience and willingness to follow my strange fantasies about my favourite dwarrows :) and thanks for the early kudos and bookmarks, it is giving a huge push to finish up the second chapter as quickly as I can.


	2. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First impressions and reactions in the new world. And look who's making her/his presence known...

“... cut. That’s a wrap!” Peter Jackson shifted the glasses to the top of his head and raised his arms in victory while letting out a prolonged whoop.

“We’ve done it!” Fran hugged the camera man next to her, both of them all smiles. Congratulations and cheers broke out all across the hall as actors, the crew and other staffers, present friends and family all celebrated the last scene.

Thorin found himself on the ground again, looking up into a face that he had yearned to see.

“Bilbo!” The dwarven king sat up and wrapped his friend in a bear hug.

“Holy crap Richard, that was incredible!” Martin returned the hug fondly, then held him at an arm’s distance. He shook his head. “What a stunning performance to the end a spectacular journey!”

In response, the dwarf raised his eyebrows and turned around, expecting to see someone nodding in acknowledgment of the hobbit’s effusive praise but all he could see was a forest of legs. Before he could respond,  he heard Kili shout, “Smaug! He’s back.”

Thorin jumped up and pushed through the crowd toward his nephew’s panicked voice . He found his nephew frozen in a defensive stance, arms held up in front of him, gasping at the dragon’s terrifying visage.

Fili had gotten to his brother first and was mumbling quietly into Kili’s ear before he slowly turned him away from the massive poster that hung at the end of the hall.

Thorin suddenly recalled with a pang of guilt how he had ordered Kili to stay behind in Lake-town, accidentally leaving him with the agonizing effects of a lethal orc poison that had only added to the young dwarrow’s terrible shock when Smaug attacked the human settlement. He moved closer to his nephews, and with his large hands gripped the back of their heads to lean them against his before he began to whisper in a tender voice of his affections for them and a promise to never leave them again.

Their affectionate behavior did not surprise anyone - after all, they had all grown so close over the past two years, experiencing countless joys and tribulations together; they had shared in the massive release of An Unexpected Journey, and most of all, they had together lived in the oddities of a pretend fantasy world that had often felt not pretend at all.

“Are you boys alright?”

“Yes.”

“Kili?”

“I think so. But where... why....”

“Leave it to me.” Thorin straightened up, raised his head and cast a surreptitious look around. Bilbo was still at his side although engaged in conversation with another man who was holding a large stick while wearing strangely fitted clothes.

“Richard!” This deep baritone voice was accompanied by a pair of hands that came down to rest on Thorin’s shoulders, turned him around and pulled the surprised dwarrow into a lingering hug. Thorin felt a quick rise of anger at being handled so intimately by a stranger but his instincts told him to play along. He pushed down his emotional impulses and instead simply said, “Yes?”

A striking sandy-haired human beamed at him but Thorin stared at the space above the man’s head, puzzled. He was used to crane up his neck whenever he had to interact with men and elves. To compensate for the disadvantage in height, he would automatically stick out his chin and assume a cool facial expression, somehow appearing to look down on the other person while looking up. It was not working here; in fact, he realized that he towered over most of the humans in this large room.

He lowered his eyes to the stranger in front of him and fixed him with a guarded look. The other man regarded him, the corners of his mouth turned up into a slight smirk. “What’s the matter, Richard?” His voice and face recalled a name within Thorin, and with a hostile face he uttered, “Thranduil.”

A soft sigh escaped the other’s mouth.

“Isn’t it about time that you used my real name? Please.” Lee’s hands slid down to squeeze the dwarrow’s biceps. “This being-in-character thing was cute but I’m tired. Come on, cheer me up with some libation?” Thorin frowned and shrugged the hands off his shoulders. He caught a glance of his nephews who were grinning from ear to ear.

Graham marched over still dressed in full Dwalin gear. He clasped his hands around Kili and Fili and roared, “Sorry, Lee. First beer’s with us, then we might let you take him away. Only if you buy the first round, of course.” Before the other man could respond, Thorin nodded his assent and said: “Thank you. We are in dire need of a strong ale.”

The pub section of the tent erupted in loud cheers as they entered. Half the arms went up with steins filled with beer, and the smell of grilled meats and fried things helped boost the celebratory crowd’s excited mood. Thorin was fascinated to see the peaceful interactions happening between the various races while the fun and raucous partying pulled in Fili and Kili in an instant and promptly caused them to wander off in search of booze and food.

As Thorin watched his nephews weave into the crowds towards the bar, he was prodded to scoot into one of large wood benches. Dwalin-who-was-not-actually-Dwalin handed him a brown bottle.

“What is this?” he squinted to make out the letters on the label.

“Oh, Richard, we all know that you prefer to drink out of a glass but just drink the damn beer without one this time, ya posh!” Graham laughed and clinked his bottle with the one he had given to Thorin.

 _There was that awful name again._  Thorin frowned. Did the world here really think this weak-sounding name to be appropriate for a strong and battle-hardened Durin warrior? He had braced himself for the uncertainties that they were sure to encounter once they stepped through the opening but a simple thing such as his name in this strange new world showed that the situation, at best, was a normal as a marriage between a dwarf and an orc.

Thorin struggled to pay attention to the conversations around him but the cacophony of noises and the visual chaos stirred his senses into overdrive: There were orcs in various states of undress right next to him eating their meals with forks and knives; over there, dwarves with goopy flesh bits hanging off their stomachs and legs slapped each other on the shoulders; further down, an elf pulled off his ears and laughingly placed them on another elf’s head. In the far corner, he saw the strange little bearded man who had unleashed this chaos scribbling on a huge white flat board while he gestured animatedly to a few serious onlookers.

Kili leaned over the table and gleefully clinked his bottle against his uncle’s. “Cheers, mate!” he winked, clearly delighted at having learned one of the customs from this realm. Fili stood behind his brother, surveying the environment with calm eyes and a pleasant smile that he wore on his face whenever he was considering a new situation and assessing the options.

**_Do not worry, Thorin, Kili and Fili._ **

A voice expanded inside their heads at the same time, and as they looked up, they only saw each other’s wary glances. Thorin did not need to identify the speaker for he had heard this voice before: Anyone who had heard it could recognize the voice of Galadriel anywhere. Before he had a chance to survey the room for the familiar golden tresses, her voice again spoke to them.

**_Do not be afraid my dear dwarrows for I will orient you to this new world. Come and meet me in ten minutes time outside the tent._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, releasing the second chapter was far more anxiety-inducing than the first one. I guess because it means that I am committing more and more to writing this to the bitter end? I hope that these stubborn (Thorin), patient (Fili) and delightful (Kili) dwarrows have lots of surprises for me you and me in store....


	3. Where I End and You Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin, Fili and Kili cope with the first night in the new world, with some help from Galadriel.

“It’s cold.” Kili rubbed his hands and did little jumps on the spot to fight off the chilly night air.

Fili watched him with a steady eye, looking comfortable under his leather top and fur vest. “Maybe you should have not taken off your layers so quickly, little brother.”

“But I was so warm! And they said that it was safe here with the guards. Do you see how quick I am on my feet now?” He added a few quick shuffles to demonstrate his newfound lightness.

“Then stop complaining about the cold,” Fili countered, discreetly padding his sides and thighs to ensure that his knives were still secured in the places where he had stashed them back in Middle Earth.

“Quiet.”  Thorin held up his left palm while he peered into the darkness.

A covered up slender figure materialized where there was nothing only a moment ago.

“Hello master dwarves,” Galadriel removed her hood and nodded at them with a warm smile. Fili and Kili bowed deeply while Thorin nodded back his acknowledgement. She did not miss how his eyes blinked a number of times as he took in her casual flannel sweater and the washed out jeans but she suspected that it was her cropped blond hair and red lipstick that were the true reasons behind his stupefied reaction.

“Lady Galadriel, it is a pleasure to see you again,” Kili beamed at her while his uncle mumbled his assent with obvious embarrassment.

Thorin remembered how he had bestowed her and Lord Elrond with his most cantankerous version the last time he saw them in Rivendell; it was when he and his company had traveled toward Erebor and Gandalf had used his forceful tone to convince him to hand over his grandfather’s map for study. The relief that he felt at seeing her here only added to the feelings of insecurity over the current situation at hand. Perhaps the elven queen’s presence indicated that natural order still prevailed, and he hoped that would she would be able to set them on the right path.

“Lady Galadriel...”

“Please, call me Cate.”

“Forgive me?”

“I am known here as Cate. Please endeavour to acquaint yourself to this name whenever you refer to me from now on. We must avoid raising any suspicions above all other matters.”

“Err, if we must.” Thorin cleared his throat and started again. “Cate? You seem to remember who we are.”

“Yes, I most certainly do: You are Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain.” After which she added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “But here, you are Richard Crispin Armitage, son of John and Margaret of Leicester.”

“Ah.” Thorin cleared his suddenly dry throat. “Are we ... dwarrows?”

“No.”

“Then are you still ...”

Galadriel shook her head. “No. And yes, we are of the same race. There are no dwarves or elves in this world - we are all men. Actually, the preferred word is ‘humans’”.

“Hey, is this why I am so itchy?”

“Itchy?” Both Thorin and Galadriel turned to look at Fili. His face rapidly took on the shade of a beet, and he stammered, “we-ll, I never felt like this back home,” before he fell silent and gazed at the ground before him.

Galadriel’s cheeks coloured in amusement as she started to explain. “Prince Fili, you are right. I apologize for not speaking to you until now, and I believe that I owe you a great deal of information. Traditions and customs differ greatly from what you know from ... back home. Being of a different race magnifies these differences even further and might hamper whatever adjustments will be needed for you to fit into this world.”

She stopped for a moment, trying to gather the right tone. “You see, as dwarves, you were spared from many discomforts that men have learned to accept throughout their short lives.  Human males in particular complain at times about the urge to scratch down there,” with that comment, she subtly pointed to her own pelvis, “especially when there is heat and sweat.”

“That’s not what I mean,” FIli corrected hastily, turning an even deeper shade of red. “I mean, I know what you are saying but it’s not... I get it but I don’t think that there is.... Ah crap.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I’m not very good with words.”

“It’s ok. Try again?”

The prince took a deep breath, then used his forefingers to tap his chest emphatically. “Well, I feel this ... prickle. Inside me. It feels like an itch, just that it’s inside me.”

“Ah.” Galadriel pondered for a short moment, then took Fili’s hands in hers and stilled him with a sympathetic glance. “I believe you are experiencing something the humans call restlessness. Quite normal. In fact, at least one of you will probably experience the ‘restless leg syndrome’ soon enough. So do not spend too much worry on this. All the eccentricities of your new human form will reveal themselves to you in due time.”

“Galadriel.” The former King Under the Mountain was done waiting and pressed ahead with his questions. “Where are we? What is your role in all this? Why are we here?”

Galadriel peeked at her wrist. “Unfortunately, there is not enough time now as our absence will be noticed soon. Let me give you enough knowledge to help you through the rest of the night. The rest will have to be saved up for a conversation tomorrow. As I am sure you understand, you will need to avoid drawing too much attention to yourselves.” She surveyed their immediate surroundings before stepping closer to them in an effort to keep the talk as quiet as possible.

“As you are well aware, you are no longer on Middle Earth. This place is simply known as Earth, and specifically, you are in a country called New Zealand, participating in a massive project that for now will provide you with some cover as you learn the rudimentaries.”

She lowered her voice even further, forcing the others to to bent their heads down closer as they strained to listen to her whispered revelations.

“You may not believe it but a lot of the knowledge about this world is already embedded in you. I call it the ‘knowledge hive’. It is available to you but to access it, you must calm your mind and open yourself up to the surroundings, including your physical form. Only then will you be able to use this knowledge.”

She look pointedly at Thorin. His reputation as an inflexible and grave ruler had been legendary back in Middle Earth, and his intense glare and folded arms expressed all too clearly that there was no eager readiness to accept the news that she shared.

“Even if you think that I am lying to you at least trust me when I say that the fates did bring you here to live out your life in misery. In fact, I’m quite sure it’s the opposite.”

“What do these fates want of us?” Thorin demanded to know.

The elf-woman sighed. “Have patience with me for I am not all-knowing in this realm. The only thing that I know at this point in time are the basic facts. Thorin, as I said, you are Richard Armitage.” She then turned to the nephews. “Fili, your name is Dean O’Gorman, and you are from this very country,” and then to the youngest of the three, “Kili - you are known as Aidan Turner, and you are Irish.”

“Aidan Turner, Irish.” Kili let the syllables reverberate in his mouth.  Even though they neither had a familiar nor dwarven ring to them, he immediately took to the name. In fact, he thought it sounded bold and spirited, reminding him of the names of the Rangers of the North.

Fili struggled with his new name. His face betrayed his exasperation as he repeatedly tried to pronounce his name, always forgetting to insert the vowel between the first and last name. Adding to his annoyance, Kili unfailingly corrected his mistake each time.

A polite cough returned their attention back to Galadriel. “You must also remind yourselves that you are no longer royalty or warriors. So there shall be no fights and no orders issued to others.  You are actors now.“

“Actors?” The disgust in Thorin’s voice was unmistakeable. “Our lives’ purpose here is to PRETEND to be other people?”

“Now, master dwarf, I am sure you will see reason once you calm down a little. Know that here, actors are not the characters of folly as you think of them in Middle Earth. Professional actors are generally respected, and the more widely you are known, the higher in esteem you are held. In fact, this movie that we just completed will increase your fame, allowing you to wield more influence than you ever had as exiled royals.”

Thorin frowned. “This must be some sort of joke.”

“You do not know the half of it.” Galadriel smirked. “Whoever is behind this has cast you into this world as a copy of your past lives.”

Kili clued in first. “So we are pretending to be actors of our own past lives while we learn how to act as our new actor selves.”

“Indeed.” Galadriel took out her cell phone and glanced at the screen, then returned the phone to her pocket and bent towards them once more to say, “We must all go back to the tent now. Tomorrow we shall meet again after you have had your rest and time to familiarize yourselves with the immediate surroundings. I promise you that I will provide many more answers.” She straightened up and with a bright smile said in a louder voice, “Let’s go back to the party.”

Thorin followed her and his nephews who were eager to return to the celebratory crowd. Perhaps a few more of ales would be the right thing numb his shock into a fuzzy haze of oblivion, he thought.

True enough, the ale had the same effect here than on Middle Earth: Many ales and hours later, Thorin was holding on to Bilbo happily, plastering his head with sloppy kisses that the other man fought off good-naturedly with lots of cussing. Meanwhile, Kili and Fili were huddled together with the rest of the dwarven actors, singing bawdy songs and throwing around food with abandon.

At the end of the party when the tent had emptied out and almost every dwarf actor stumbled away with a killer headache (thanks to the head butting dealt out liberally by the princes), three former dwarves drunkenly steered their unsteady footsteps towards Richard’s trailer, unlocked the door and passed out stone cold on his bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my surprise Chapter 3 revealed a writing companion to this particular story, one who seems to enjoy cackling about strange ideas and slightly naughty bits of information. Mind you, these 'inspirations' do not seem to alter the story fundamentally so for now I will indulge the mischievous plot monsterling. It was his/her idea to explore the idea of itchy man parts, I swear.
> 
> So ... please wave a friendly hello to my personal 'writing imp'.


	4. Get Born Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first morning after. Just a little interlude before the lads see Galadr... Cate again.

It was rather nice to wake up in a bed, Thorin thought as he awoke to the sun peeking through the window blinds. His head was throbbing, not enough to affect his mood but enough to remind him that he was not yet accustomed to this new body. He thought briefly about the daily training that he would have to reinstate to get him to a desirable level of fitness and strength. Trained all his life as a warrior and leader, there was no way that he would give up this aspect of his life just because he turned human.

Fili and Kili were still sleeping. The younger’s face was squashed into the sheets while his brother lay on the back,  his gentle snores sending his moustache beads fluttering with each exhale.

Liberated from his kingly obligations and expectations, Thorin delighted in staying under the sheets and keeping his mind free from momentary worries and concerns for a while longer. He spent fond minutes looking at the sleeping forms before him and felt gratitude for the chance to see them alive. He held out hope that a real future was going to be in his young relatives’ stars this time around.

A vague memory rose from the depths of his hazy brain. Something about the party and a lot of questionable morals displayed towards hairs and beards. Surely a real dwarrow would not troop around twirling a beard on their fingers? He remembered what Galadriel had told him but part of him still could not to believe that there were no other dwarves (he was quite fine living a life without elves, thank you very much).

Unfortunately when he looked back at his nephews, he saw that Fili’s moustache dangled precariously over his upper lip. He reached towards it and noticed a thin strand of a viscous clear goo that he guessed was glue. Thorin felt up his chin and cheeks and sighed with marked relief when he was able to confirm the authenticity of his own beard.

By Mahal, encountering Galadriel with almost no hair on her head was a shocking sight but at least it had prepared him to expect that their appearances would have changed along with the race. Bless the ale for it had postponed any further thoughts on this topic until this morning, after he had a chance to sleep and be calmer about the unfathomable situation.

So Thorin took stock. Fili’s beard was a fake. Kili’s beard was too short to be fake. His own beard was real. Now, about their hair. He had an impulse and reached with his hand to tug at the top of his head. The hairpiece come off effortlessly. On closer inspection he found it to be real hair - just not his own.

Kili’s hair was long, dark and curly. When he tentatively picked up a few strands and tugged at them, Kili groaned and instinctively started swatting at the source of the yank. He dropped the hair and focused on his other nephew’s blond tresses next.  Except that they were no longer on Fili’s head but nestled into the crook of his neck looking a lot like a furry rodent.

Great. And he had not even looked in the mirror yet.

The emptiness of his stomach and fullness of his bladder made him scamper towards the edge of the bed. In his eagerness to leave the sleeping quarters, one of his feet ended up dragging a part of the sheet along with him, the same part that unfortunately was also still attached to Kili, who landed on the floor with a crash. The older dwarf hurried to the bathroom and threw a quick “be back” over his shoulders as he ran to relieve himself of all that he had imbibed the night before.

When he re-emerged, Kili was sitting on the floor, still rubbing his rump and cursing loudly. Fili stirred but his eyes were shut as he grumbled about the ruckus caused by his brother. He only had a brief moment to whine before Kili crept up to his brother and yanked off Fili’s moustache which was by then only hanging on by a corner.

“Good morning.” Thorin spoke over the yelps that followed the moustache removal. He grinned at the spectacle before him and languidly stretched up while yawning, only to connect with the ceiling of the trailer. “Ouch.”

“Uncle.” Kili got up in haste and narrowly missed the overhead lamp that separated the sleeping and the living / dining area.

“I’m fine, Kili.” He looked around the trailer now that was bathed in sunlight. “Strange. This place looks much smaller than I remembered from yesterday.”

“We appear to be bigger than, well, when we were dwarves.” The youngest prince stepped next to his uncle and used his hands to compare heights. Fili got up from the bed as Kili announced, “Hey, look - I think I am much taller than Fee now.”

Fili harrumphed. “So what if you are? Being tall is pure chance of luck; experience and wisdom are far more meaningful.”

“Well, then it is good that I appear to have all three of them,” Thorin declared and looked down their noses with quiet contentment. “Come, we’ll have time to focus on our appearances later. Let’s go find something to eat first.”

Fili was still grumbling about being the shortest as they left the trailer.

They had only taken a few steps when they ran into someone who looked familiar.

“Good morning! You guys look like you had a great night.” They did not recognize the lanky man right away, not until a smirk appeared on his face - one that undoubtedly belonged to Nori. And yet it was not Nori, they had to remind themselves as they nodded and returned his greetings, careful to mumble unintelligible syllables when they could not remember Nori’s new name.

A clean-shaven Dori joined in. “Jed! Aidan, Dean, Richard. Fancy seeing you all here together. What a fantastic morning eh?” His face subtly changed as he sniffed the air. “And what a grandiose night! Perhaps too grand to let hygiene spoil your fun?”

Unfortunately his subtle hint was met by blank stares. So he tried again, “What I meant to say...”

“What Mark means to say is that you mud pigs better clean yourselves up before you show your faces at the canteen and make everyone lose their appetites,” Bofur interrupted unceremoniously. He tilted his head as he stared at the Durin trio and clapped his hands joyously. “Did you actually fall asleep in your fat suits and costumes? Nicely done, lads, nicely done!”

“Fat? Suits?” The confusion written on the faces were shrugged off as post-drinking memory glitches, and within seconds all three former dwarves were deftly manipulated back to their trailers and instructed to remove their smelly pieces before they would be invited to return to the food tent.

“Oh. Oh!” Kili held up a jiggly flesh-toned slab that he had pulled off his right thigh while Fili timidly poked at his own fake stomach, forehead wrinkling in concentration as he tried to determine how to best free himself from this weird contraption that was strapped around his torso.

“Repulsive,” was the only word that they kept hearing out of their uncle’s mouth as he stripped himself of the artificial body add-ons.

At last all three dwarves were liberated from their layers of costume and stuffing and stood around in simple breeches and shirts, looking each other up and down.

“Why, we look like we have not eaten proper food for months! How the hell do these humans manage to stay on their feet all day being this scrawny?” Fili flexed his arms and tutted over the size of the biceps and triceps.

“It’s a disgrace!” Thorin spoke with vehemence. “I would not dare to call myself a warrior with such a puny build. How can men so blatantly disregard their health? It takes but a small amount of discipline and work to acquire physical strength. FIli, Kili, we won’t stop until we can stand and fight strongly as we used to.”  His nephews nodded eagerly.

Renewed in their determination, they scrubbed their faces down with water, threw on a few sweatpants that they found in the trailer and walked to the food tent, ready to feed their bodies enough food to get started with the rest of the day.

“Aye, there you are!” A woman dressed in pants and a wind jacket and holding a clipboard walked up to them and pointed them to a table deeper within the tent. “Cate’s been asking for you. Please join her once you have your trays.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some strange reasons I wanted to release this chapter as soon as possible. I think it shows (sorry) - I'll try to improve on the flow (and fill in any thought leaps) at a later point in time. On to the food tent!


	5. Welcome to the New Age

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galadriel and the lads meet again.

“So. How are you feeling this morning?” Galadriel sat across from them, her hands wrapped around a steaming mug.

“Fantastic!” Kili exclaimed. “This drink, this coffee... it’s fantastic! Quite bitter at first but once you add sugar and milk, it’s just the best thing I’ve drunk in a long while.  Everyone drinks this every morning? Fantastic!” he emphasized again.

An amused Galadriel turned to Fili. “Perhaps  you should watch your brother’s coffee intake for the first little while. Make sure that he gets used to the effects of the brew before he indulges in more.”

“I shall save the others from his caffeine fuelled antics,” Fili mumbled. Galadriel laughed in response.

“Lady ... Cate.” Thorin poked at the grilled tomatoes but decided against them and speared the fried bacon slices instead. “You had promised us more answers for today - are we still able to call on this promise?”

“Of course, master dwarf. Let the ‘Q&A with Cate’ commence.” Galadriel joked.

“Hah! I know what Q&A means. Question and answer. It’s called an ‘acronym’ - although I never heard of this before I know what it stands for. That’s awesome!” Kili spoke through the food in his mouth and waved his fork with great enthusiasm.

“Ah, very well, Prince Kili, I’m very pleased to see that you have started to access your knowledge hive.” The blonde woman cast a serious glance at the other two. “You will have to give this a lot of practice. In our profession it is crucial to adapt to any situations quickly, and you will be well served knowing how to react quickly with your mind.”

“So what is your role in all of this?” Thorin blurted out. “Is this some sort of trickery meant to punish us?  Who else is behind this, the White Council?” His added with some agitation, “You have no right to tear us from our rightful place and drop us in here as feeble men. Find someone else to play with!”

Galadriel bristled. “Although I possess more knowledge than you do, you must understand that I also operate within a limited scope of enlightenment. Do not cast me into the fate creator role so recklessly.” She glowered at him while she continued. “For a few decades, I have come to find myself living on more than one plane of reality, without knowing why. You see, unlike you, I am embedded in both worlds, and I find myself constantly struggling to exist in this manner for time and space no longer have serious bearings to me.”

She then grew pensive. “I am not looking for sympathy from you. Nor any understanding. However, I assure you that these lives are meant to be a gift, even for me. I have found love and children in each realm, and this parallel existence has enriched my knowledge of the universe far more than any singular life could have done.  I admit though that until recently, I had no idea why I was such a unique situation. Until I saw you yesterday.”

She looked up with clear eyes. “I believe my reason for being here is to guide you.”

“Why us?” Fili demanded to know.

“The lords of fate have not deemed me worthy of knowing. My instincts tell me that your deaths have triggered a universal shift towards a different outcome. Your fates are somehow tied within that of the universe, and that is why you are the only ones whose souls have crossed in their entirety from Middle Earth.”

Thorin’s heart hovered over the pit of his stomach when he asked, “What of the rest of the company and master Baggins?”

“From what I have gleaned of the future, they will do quite well. Their names will be sung along yours in the songs and stories of Thorin’s company and the heroic journey to defeat the dragon and return the mountain to their exiled people. And if you want to know, Bilbo returns to the Shire and lives to the age of 111, an astonishing age for a halfing. Please do not fret about this too much: You must remind yourself that you accomplished what you set out to do.”

Thorin grieved over the memories. “But they will forever remember Thorin, the king who went gold sick, just like his father and his grandfather before him. There will never be a chance to prove that I overcame the family curse, that I could be a king they could proudly follow.”

“Uncle,” Fili spoke, “We all knew that you would return us from the sickness. Do not believe for one second that anyone would challenge your worth as a true king. You showed them as much during the last battle.”

“Perhaps. However,” He stared into the bottom of his mug, “my people are Durin’s folk, and I was meant to be their leader. Without them, I am nothing.” He buried his head in his hands.

“Thorin,” Galadriel’s gaze was intense as she placed her hands on his shoulder, willing him to look at her. “You must let go. Your people are going to be back in their homes thanks to your and your company. They will have a chance to rebuild Erebor because of the lives that you and your nephews gave without hesitation. You have completed your life’s path on Middle Earth, and your destiny now lies here.”

“Wha...” an impulsive thought arose in Kili who uttered, “what about Tauriel?” The red-maned elven captain had defied her king and turned away from Prince Legolas to realize her love and devotion to the youngest Durin royal during the Battle of the Five Armies.  Kili in turn knew that she had his heart from their very first encounter and sacrificed his life to save hers during their battle against the white orc leader. He had hoped that there might be chance of their relationship now that he was still alive.

“I’m sorry, Kili. She will fade.”

He hung his head low, trying to hide the tears that began to flow. Fili tried to comfort him by wrapping his arms tightly around his younger brother but he himself looked troubled. Thorin placed his forehead against Kili’s.

“Why the terribly long faces, darlings?” A plate of toast appeared next to Galadriel’s mug while a cheerful Ian McKellen plopped down on the bench next to the actress. “I am not leaving until tomorrow so save your tender tears until then.”

“Gandalf?” Galadriel shook her head ever so slightly at Thorin’s questioning eyes as Ian started on his breakfast and merrily chatted about all that he had planned to do over the next few days at home in England and how much he had missed his boyfriend. Kili and Fili were still somber but could not help but stare at the white-haired man, still in full reverence of the wizard they had respected and slightly feared throughout their short lives.

“Do look me up when you are in London. I promised you that I would show you the best wine establishment, and I will deliver on this promise as long as you dears promise to visit. Now Richard,” Ian turned to the older dwarf with a twinkle in his eyes and assumed his most wizardy voice, “remember what we spoke about. Trust me, go with boldness towards the truth and you will find that the most astonishing things will start to happen. Thorin Oakenshield shall be liberated.” With that, he rose dramatically from his seat and swept away with his now empty plate.

Galadriel sighed. “That Ian. I am quite certain he is not Gandalf but there are times when I question myself for he has often made statements that could have only come out of the grey wizard’s mouth.” She shook her head and looked at her watch. “Oh no, I’m already late. Sorry lads, I have no choice but to leave you again as I have an important meeting to go to. And this time it will have to be a longer goodbye for I am scheduled to leave for the airport in a few hours.” She sighed. “You’ll see really soon that this world seems to lurch along at a much faster pace than life on Middle Earth. If I had any say in this matter....” her speech trailed off as she stood up and pulled out three small pieces of paper from her pockets. “Here is my private cell phone number - you will always be able to reach me with it.“

Kili and FIli reached out to pick up one of the paper slips.

“Thank you.” Fili was the first to speak. He knew in his heart that there was no way to return to Middle Earth. Unlike his uncle, whose entire being had rested on being a dwarven leader, and Kili, who was distraught at having lost his one love, he discovered that he felt a level of freedom here that he had never on Middle Earth: He no longer had to constantly look over his shoulder and hold himself up to what was expected of him as the king’s direct heir. He had choices, and he would not throw away his chance to explore a different fate. He threw a glance at Galadriel to see if she read his mind, and there she was, giving him a slight nod. He mouthed a silent thank you.

“I must leave you now, unfortunately. You know how to reach me now, so....”

The woman stepped away from the table, her mind already focused on the next task at hand. “Oh, and Thorin....”

Galadriel turned around one last time. Her eyes had a glint. “Lee has taken a strong liking to you and seems convinced that you two are heading towards some sort of relationship. I urge you to stop things before they go any further.”

“What! Never would I...” Thorin interjected with great force but Galadriel cut him off.

“You still have so much to learn about yourself. For now, please heed my advice, and if you do not know what to do, simply tell him that you are not ready to settle down and want to keep your options open. Forget that you are Thorin when you speak to him. Good luck with that.” Galadriel shot the astonished dwarf a cheeky grin before she walked away.

“Lee?” Thorin frowned, trying to match the name to a face.

“Thranduil.” Kili offered readily, his head already full of mischievous thoughts.  “Do you need my help in finding a quiet romantic corner so you two can rendezvous and talk it out? Do you wish for musical accompaniment? Ouch!” He rubbed the spot on the arm where his uncle had punched him.

“Don’t you pay any heed to this.” Thorin grumbled. “I shall take care of it.”

“So what now?” Fili asked.

Thorin went over the conversation in his mind. “That knowledge hive that is supposed to give us information about this world and the past of these lives.” The gears in his mind turned, and he knew that his nephews were waiting for him to come up with a solid plan.

“Let’s take some time to find out what we are dealing with and regroup in a more stable location. This place appears to be in flux and may not remain ours for much longer.” In fact, they noticed that at this very moment, a few staff members were starting to disassemble parts of the food serving station. “Kili, how did you access the information before?”

“I think I willed myself to relax and then silently presented the question to my mind. Let’s see.” Kili focused inwardly and quietly mouthed to himself, “who do I love?” A moment later, his eyes widened in surprise: an image had appeared in his mind along with a name. “Brenda.” He exhaled. “I live with Brenda in an apartment in Dublin.”

Fili copied Kili’s method. “Hannah,” he whispered not long after. He knew she had long dark blonde hair and a sweet smile. He also saw his house in New Zealand, only a short flight away from the film studio and a big clumsy wolfdog who went by the name of Batman.  

Thorin followed in the same manner. After a minute he looked up blankly. “Nothing.”

“No answers?”

“No, or maybe yes. There was nothing. I saw a home which I presume to be mine, but it was empty. Oh, wait... ah!” His eyes flew open in surprise.

“What is it uncle?” Fili began to reached for his hand but Thorin shook it off. “Nothing to worry about, just some unexpected flashes of something that I would rather not think about for now.” He shook his head with a sigh, “that rude elf...”

“I’m not ready to go to my new life!” Kili cried. “Fili...” his eyes pleaded with his his brother. “Can I come with you, Fee?”

Thorin had to admit that he also felt a great sense of unease thinking that he would be separated from his  nephews and return to a home that he’s never seen. “I think we should stick together for as long as we can without arousing suspicion.”

Fili nodded. “Since my home is the closest, perhaps we can tell everyone that you wanted to explore New Zealand for a while longer before going back to your lives.” Returning to a romance and family that was not his evoked a nervous tension that was unfamiliar to him, and he started to wonder if the presence of Thorin and Kili would be convincing enough to help explain his emotional anxieties when he met Hannah for the first time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That lady can talk! And it's all so vague, too. I love Galadriel / Cate, but if my soul had been Thorin's soul that is in Richard Armitage's body, I would have (gently, of course) grabbed her shoulders and (gently) shaken her, "Get to the point. Get to the point!"
> 
> Can I promise that there will be more action for the next while? Why yes, I can - it's clearly time for some action!


	6. Getting Out (Not Moving On)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was time to leave the sanctity of the studio lot and face the rest of the world. It was time to become Aidan, Dean and Richard.

Thorin held his head in his hands as he sat unnoticed in the corner of the airport business lounge. He was curled forward over his knees; his nephews had left him there a while ago with the promise to look around for something to help alleviate the growing pain in his head.  

It was a widely known on Middle Earth that a dwarrow’s head could shatter rock when necessary - not that he was doing any of that here - and though he took the greatest care to avoid using his head to knock against anything other than his pillow, he quickly gained a respectful fear of those head pains that came without any warning or were explained by others to be caused by odd and often invisible causes such as impending weather changes, bad smells in the air, loud noises and even too much ale.  _ Too much ale!  _ He wanted to shake his head but the last time he did that someone told him that too much head shaking would also cause these so-called “headaches”.

The former royals were also more than displeased to discover that the failures of the human body did not only applied to the head region but to many other body parts. Differences such as the density of the muscles  and height deeply affected their sense of gravity and resulted in many clumsy stumbles and falls, and to add insult to awkward injuries, their bodies were now highly susceptible to the environmental temperatures. The blonde dwarf especially complained a lot about the terrible fluctuation, and after a short bout of the sniffles that included  copious amounts of mucus, he exhibited an obsessive devotion to the art of putting on and casting off layers  as based on the time of day and his location. Fili had quickly taken to preferring his temperature controlled trailer over any other places on the studio lot, effectively getting his brother and uncle to cram into his messy and cramped sleeping box every night.

There were positives, too: Overall, their movements had now become lighter and more buoyant. Once they had gotten used to the lightfootedness it was not hard to appreciate with how much grace and speed their limbs moved especially when it was coupled with the comfy and light clothing that appeared to be the standard outfit in this world. Thank Mahal for polyester!

Kili, more often than not, could be found bouncing and at times dancing through the halls, and even Fili decided to cast off a few of the multitude of weapons that he carried with him at all times, stating that they were no longer needed in this environment and that with his increased agility and flexibility he was now able to grasp his favourite weapons in half the time that it used to take him. 

Not only had their physical agility improved considerably, Thorin also noticed he had an easier time adapting to  new situations. What might have taken him a few days to mull over now took only a few hours to adjust to. And he no longer experienced emotions in the same way as before - his anger used to flood him like a giant wave but now he was able to detect the early signs of irritation and had at times even caught himself before he could devolve into a unsavable foul mood or shouting fit. It was by no means a new pollyanna personality but he seemed to be more capable now to temper his moods when needed. Unfortunately, it came with a price.

Which brought him back to the exact moment in time at the airport lounge, holding his head and wishing that it would all just go away.

The last couple of days had gone by in a flurry.

Thorin had gone to find Lee not long after the conversation with Cate. The dwarrow had been anxious and impatient to end whatever relations existed, and despite feeling a bit guilty for replacing another person’s wishes and desires with his own there was absolute no chance that he would submit himself to someone else’s life choices. Especially if it meant displaying any sort of affection towards the elvish sort and wasting valuable time on those who had betrayed his folk and caused them unmentionable misery and devastation. Even if they were only pretend elves. No. He would take his second chances and start with anew with those he wanted near and those that would earn his trust the right way.  Starting with fake-Bilbo ( _ or rather, Martin _ , he thought with a snort) who may or may not be his One.

He had started to wonder if perhaps the dwarven singularity of love may no longer apply to him and his nephews anymore now that they were human. Sure, he still felt the same emotions when it came to love for his friends and family and when he recalled his deep feelings to real-Bilbo, and Fili seemed to hold the same attitudes as he had before but there was a slight shift that he perceived in his younger nephew.  Kili was still shy with the other sex but he had caught him making eyes at several maidens on the lot.

His thoughts returned to his conversation with Lee, and the other man’s peculiar response when he announced that things were over between the two of them over a cup of coffee ( _ Is this the only way these humans could communicate _ , he thought.  _ With coffee or beer in their hands? _ )

“There is no need to explain.” Lee rested his chin on his hands and looked at him with an amused twinkle in the eyes. “We have only been going out a few times, and even though I think that there is some potential for more I totally understand your decision. We never made any promises and at this point in our careers and with the movie releases, it would be bloody miracle if a new serious relationship would survive. So how about we agree to avoid any bad feelings and keep the fondest memories of our time together. Maybe reenact some of our most memorable explorations when we find some time during the next press tour. Wild oats and all, you know.” The tall boyish actor winked and then got up to leave. He stopped for a moment and added, “I think you are great, Richared. Perhaps some day in the future we will find our lives in better alignment. If it is meant to be. Until then, I will see you around as a friend.”

“Wild oats?” Thorin scratched his beard as he watched Lee strode off seemingly without a care in the world.

\---------

Even though Cate had a good understanding of the situation and provided the dwarrows with as much information as she could about the new world she was not familiar enough with Thorin on Middle Earth to understand the bond that the dwarven king and his hobbit had forged over the long journey to Erebor. Even here, a not-so-subtle warmth descended upon Thorin’s cheek whenever he ran into the Bilbo actor. Martin took it all in good stride when he noticed that his colleague always was never far away from wherever he went on set and good-naturedly teased him about his ‘hobbit obsession.’ Even Peter dryly mentioned during one of the promo planning meetings to “maybe keep Martin and Richard separated during the interviews. We don’t want to get the media all hot and bothered about a romance between the lead actors which, undoubtedly I’m sure, would trigger massive online protests by the Tolkien purists.”

On Martin’s last day on set, Richard again hovered around him. To his delight Martin had proved himself as approachable and friendly as Bilbo so he was more than comfortable to follow him around as he said his goodbyes, interjecting with questions whenever an opportunity presented itself. He asked questions on what his next plans were, whether he could meet up with him in London, what he thought about going for dinner together with his wife and kids, and whether he could really text him anytime. Just before Martin climbed into the cab in front of the studio the affable actor turned around, placed his hands on Thorin’s shoulders, and with the most tender smile said, “Fuck off, Richard. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

Kili and Fili were more than keen to talk to their uncle about his feelings but as it had always happened Thorin refused any confessions of love. “Let me say it one final time, and then there will be no more talk of it! I do not have any romantic feelings toward Bilbo,” he bellowed and crossed his arms, leaving no room for any further discussions. 

It was the middle of the week when the rest of the exodus began; friends and acquaintances started to leave the only home that they knew here in droves. The human dwarrows especially went through a tough time when faced with having to say goodbye to each other after 18 months. Graham in particular shedded many tears, and the vision of the imposing mass of a man hugging his acting compatriots while sobbing uncontrollably had Fili and Kili in giggling fits, drawing a stern look and a cuff from their older relative.

Finally, it was their time to leave as well. Their goodbyes had been a little less drawn out than the previous ones but it was nevertheless still a sad affair when they hugged everyone from the Jackson family, Philippa, Rod and the rest of the crew to the staff from food services with whom especially Kili had bonded with quickly.

Although the airport was only a temporary staying place it felt crushingly final. This was going to be their first step towards a life even stranger than everything that they had encountered so far. 

Fili and Kili returned, holding bottles of water and a little white pill for their uncle. Just in time as the flight crew announced that boarding was about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the 4-month delay in the story. 
> 
> Although I am not as sorry as I would have been had I not written the 3chapter one-shot about Bilbo, Thorin and Azog that had absolutely nothing to do with this story. And I probably will not be sorry that the back of my mind is already plotting another one-shot about Frodo as a fauntling and an exasperated Bilbo.
> 
> I hope I still have a few interested readers left in this story - my motivation for developing the story further is currently at a moderate 'eh'-level, and there is a real fear of messing up the Thorin-in-Richard-Armitage character to the point of non-recognition.


	7. Reunion, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fili, Kili and Thorin arrive at Dean's home. Can Fili find his inner Dean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mind is mostly blank right now, sorry. Pushed to get this chapter out as it started to run away from me with all these unnecessary domestic details that put a screeching halt to the plot. Apparently I like writing these kinds of scenes - and bore myself to tears while I'm re-reading and editing them. I promise that the next chapter will be more exciting...

The taxi deposited the three men in front of Dean’s house.

“Do you have your keys?” Thorin was anxious to get inside; the few hours that had taken them to journey from the Stone Street Studios to this new temporary home had left him feeling more unsettled than he thought was possible. His nomadic life after Smaug’s violent assault of Erebor had not been easy but there he had never been in any doubt about any of the basic truths in his life as a Durin. In this new world he was adrift, with nothing to anchor his sense of being. 

That’s why he had been relieved when Kili panicked at the idea of having to separate from his family after leaving the studio. As the head of the family he thought it perfectly reasonable to continue to be protective of his nephews and to suggest that it was necessary to hide away together for longer. He could not yet trust himself to let go of the stability that Fili and Kili provided him, and it was their constant presence that that allowed him to face the future, starting with a weaponless journey (feeling very exposed in his mind) and grudgingly putting his trust in the global machinery of modern travel.

Fili rummaged in his coat pockets before he remembered and unzipped the small front pocket of his suitcase. He reached in and held up his house key with a triumphant flourish. “Here we go.”

“Dean!” Before the blonde had a chance to approach his front door a woman rushed towards him and enveloped him in an all-body hug, laughing and placing little kisses all over his face. Fili stood, frozen, while his mind was spinning in place. He knew that the person hanging from his neck was supposed to be his fiancee, and he definitely knew and had been telling himself many times that a certain level of pretense had to be maintained. However, he also assumed that their arrival during the morning would leave him with at least a few hours to get his bearings and plan out options before he had to slip fully into his life as Dean. Now faced with the acuteness of the situation his senses were overwhelmed, and he suddenly could no longer remember any of the reactions and responses that he had rehearsed in his mind.

He finally managed to force his arms around the beautiful female, and with the relief at having stepped over this particularl hurdle, Fili briefly sunk his face into her long strawberry blonde hair. His nose detected a whiff of lavender and sweet orange that set off a part within the lower reaches of his brain. A small shiver ran through his body before he could stop it, and he yanked his head back and away from her hair to take in deep breaths of unscented air. 

Hannah’s head burrowed back into his neck; she was hugging him with a strength that took him by complete surprise. After a few moments, he had collected enough of his self control to extricate himself from her squeeze and to hold her safely at an arm’s length so he could take a closer look at the woman that he was supposed to be in love with.

“Er, hullo.” He put on what he knew was his brightest and friendliest smile.  She in turn leaned back and studied him. A slight puzzlement spread across her face. “What’s the matter, babe?” 

“Nothing, errr ... babe. I ... wow ... it’s been a while, and ... I m... missed you?” Fili started to stutter.  

Luckily Kili jumped in and pulled her out of his brother’s embrace into his arms for a bear hug. “Hey Hannah, so great to see you again!” He delivered a warm peck on her cheek and then cheerily added, “I hope you don’t mind that Rich and I will be hanging out here with you guys for a bit,” and he smiled. 

“Of course not,” she laughed and held out her hand to their uncle while she was still in Kili’s embrace. The older dwarrow took her hand with a polite smile, thanking Mahal for his youngest nephew’s natural aptitude to diffuse and command any social situations at hand. “Sheesh, will you let her go so we can go into the house?” Hannah laughed again as she pushed the front door open and entered the house. 

As they walked through the entrance Hannah gestured into the hall and up the stairs. “Please forgive the awful state of the house. I haven’t had the time to tidy up this place, just got back here a minute ago when I heard the car pull up.” She bounded up the stairs and over her shoulder continued, “I’ll have the guest rooms set up in a jiffy. Dean can show you where everything is and make you comfortable until I’m done.”

Kili and Thorin nodded, then turned back to laugh at Fili who had disappeared under a mountain of excited wheat-coloured fur and a scraggly saber tail that was furiously wagging left and right. 

“Ah... Hawkeye, is that right, that’s your name? Come on boy, why don’t you get off me so I can get up, catch my breath and then give you a proper hug?” Fili grinned, his reaction to an overexcited dog far less stifled and more relaxed than the encounter a few moments before with Hannah.

Both princes had a huge heart for animals, and while they had never kept any pets in Ered Luin (their mother and Thorin barely made enough to keep them for starving), Fili had always wished for a dog of his own since he was a dwarfling. He was delighted to find that Dean apparently also held a bias for big furry mongrels.

Hawkeye wore a beatific smile on his face and displayed no animosity or confusion towards his owner. After a brief quizzical look when the dog first encountered the dwarrows, the canine had then proceeded to throw himself enthusiastically at Fili. Needless to say, the dwarrow instantly melted and swore to all gods in this world to do right by his pet and love him just as much as Dean had loved him, if not more.  _ Now if it could be just as easy with Hannah _ , he thought.

“Good boy. I miss ya, too.” Fili knew that he meant it. He ruffled the panting dog’s head with a natural affection and beckoned him and the two dwarrows to follow him into the kitchen.

Hannah came down the stairs twenty minutes later. She entered the kitchen with her nose testing the air. “Mmh, are you guys cooking something for lunch?”

Fili stood with his back to the hallway, focused on the stove and jiggling a frying pan so intently that he did not notice her entrance. Her question went unanswered until Kili popped his head into his kitchen from another archway, smirking like the god of mischief. He held up a plate of half-eaten food.

“Hannah! My bro... I mean, your beau is making french toast with scrambled eggs, fried ham and tomatoes. I’m sorry that we already started eating but at least I’ve set the table and made us some coffee while our fearless leader’s has done nothing but sit on his arse. Are you hungry? Will you join us at the dining table and please save me from the dreadful brooder that’s boring the life out of me right now ...”

“I am not boring the life out of you! And I am MOST CERTAINLY NOT BROODING!” came an indignant shout from the dining room.

“Yes you are.” Kili cackled, and his head disappeared from the kitchen.

Fili turned around and looked at his fiancee, his face flushed and bright-eyed. Hawkeye was eyeing the spatula in his hand, eagerly waiting for a piece of fried food or a few droplets of meat-flavoured grease to hit the floor. 

“Wow, this smells incredible! When did you learn to cook that?” Hannah walked up and peered over Fili’s shoulder at the contents of the pan.

“It’s not that hard, really. I must have made food for you in the...” here he paused for a split second to ponder, “two years that we have been together?” He looked sheepish and turned back towards the stove without waiting for her answer.

“Of course you have.” The young woman squeezed Fili’s shoulder reassuringly without noticing Fili’s rising embarrassment. “It’s just that you’ve insisted quite convincingly that your best dish was toast with peanut butter and jam.”

Fili grimaced away from Hannah’s eyes, his eyes back on the frying pan. “Well, that was then. I have picked up a few cooking tips here and there from the catering staff during filming. And now that I am back home, I’d love to do more cooking here in this kitchen.” He shyly added, “if that’s alright with you?”

Hannah smiled. “I’d really like that, Dean.”

“Me too.” Fili’s tentative tug at the corner of his mouth became an actual smile as he scooped out the last few slices from the pan and turned the heating element off. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

Dean’s place was a bright and airy small cottage built at the end of a private road in a small village, just a few hours north of Auckland. It was his first and only property, paid with the savings from his construction jobs and the occasional local acting gig early in his acting career. At times he had wondered where his next paycheck would come from but he had always made it a point to put aside any money that he could spare for materials while using his spare time to build his place from the ground up. When he was finally hired for a recurring TV the very first paycheck went towards a massive table carved out of recovered remu timber. 

It was at this table where Kili and Thorin sat and dug into their meals. The young dwarrow had pushed out the two chairs across from them for Fili and Hannah to sit, chewing and gesturing with his chin. Thorin raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement as the couple sat down and then turned his attention back to the contents of his plate.

Fili was struck with the emotional memory of many happy meals taken at this table in this particular room, and a warm feeling spread from underneath his heart until Hannah decided to place her hand on his thigh.

The blonde dwarrow froze and then forced himself to remain as calm as possible. He slowly picked up his fork and started to eat in carefully measured movements, barely registering what he was putting into his mouth. He felt relief when the touch of the hand faded away a moment later as she reached across the plate to grab a pot and  pour herself and Fili a generous helping of coffee. He found his uncle staring at him with a face that was schooled into a casual expression but he saw that Thorin’s eyes shone with concern.

“So,” Hannah took a sip of coffee, “how long were you thinking of staying here?”

“A few ...” - “We have to ...” - “Well, maybe...” All three started to speak at the same time, causing her to look up with surprise, before Thorin cleared his throat and shot the other two a stern look. 

“We are going back to the studio kick off the promo tour in a few weeks, and it seemed silly not to make the most of our remaining time in this lovely country. I am actually thinking of looking at a few properties in this area, and so does Aidan, and we both thought that it would be good to get it all done together in one shot. We shamelessly pestered Dean until he said yes but I hope that we are not imposing on you too much. Truly, by all means, tell us to leave if you have any reservations.”

Hannah smiled. “No no, I’m really happy that Dean has offered his place.  Don’t worry, I still have my own place in town, so should we or you require more privacy, I can simply haul Dean off to my place for a few days.”

“I don’t think this will be too much of a concern.” Fili jumped in quickly, “this is a pretty spacious place after all, and I have to get some work done here for an exhibit in London that’s coming up before the press tour begins.”

“The promo tour is for the final movie, right?” Hannah paused in her eating, her empty fork lifted as if to punctuate her thoughts. “Is it weird knowing that this is the end of it?”

“Um, I suppose. I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest.” Fili chewed, thinking back to his short time at the studio. He wondered how he would manage spending all these weeks pretending to have taken part in an multi-year experience that was still mostly foreign to him. He looked at his uncle and remembered with some guilt that Thorin had the bigger burden of the three to carry as he was one of the leads of the movies, leaving him with the bulk of the media appearances and interviews, while he and Kili would face far less scrutiny.

The rest of their lunch passed with pleasant talk about New Zealand and Hannah’s work as an art therapist. Thorin in particular listened with intense fascination as she described in detail the positive effects of working through trauma and emotional pain using personal expressions of visual art. Her open face and serene words stirred up twinges of protectiveness in Fili as he watched her in quiet wonder.


	8. First Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuing the charade.

“This is it for me tonight.” Hannah stretched her arms up and yawned as she got up from the sofa. “I have a very early morning, so I better turn in now.” She looked at Fili who sat on the sofa with his nose buried into his laptop. “See you soon?”

“Yes babe, see you in a bit.” Fili mumbled as she bent down to give him a quick kiss on the mouth.

Kili waited until she disappeared up the stairs. “This is so weird. Are you going to follow her to the room and share the bed?”

Fili stared at the stairs, his face betraying the conflicting emotions struggling to be victorious. “I’m not really ready for this.” He cleared his throat and added with trepidation, “I think like her though. A lot.”

Kili snorted. “Ya, no kidding. Those puppy eyed looks that you have been throwing her way are truly revolting.” He ducked to avoid the sofa cushion that was tossed at him.

Thorin looked up from the photography book that he was flipping through. “I think you should do what you think Dean would do. The less suspicion we arouse, the better.”

“That’s what worries me.” Fili turned to his uncle. “I don’t know if I can convince her that I am Dean: I’m barely able to hold onto this charade but to be in bed with her? That’s not my way, the dwarven way. I know I’m no longer a dwarrow so why do I still feel like one? I ... I don’t want to have to compromise, you know?”

Thorin nodded with an understanding. “Then you better be sure that you want to be in there with her tonight. At least wait until you are sure that she is asleep.”

“Aye, uncle.”

“Poor Fili, if I were in his shoes...” Kili’s eyes went wide as comprehension set in, and he jumped straight up from his chair, fumbling with his jeans pocket that contained his cell phone. “Uh, I’ll be right back.” And with that he ran out of the living room while he stared at the phone, scrolling on the screen.

“Thank Mahal that’s one thing I do not have to worry about.” Thorin sighed with relief. “But I suppose I better go and check my phone messages, the voicemail inbox seems to be full.”

Fili nodded at his uncle and returned to the digital photos on his computer screen. Although he had never touched a camera or a computer before, this activity felt natural and familiar to him: Dean’s instincts and skills kicked in readily, and he had little doubt that it would apply to other aspects of his new life - he just wasn’t sure if he wanted to find out more at this point in time. However, he enjoyed that his SLR felt like an extension of his hands, and he marveled at the photos that he had been able to shoot, admiring the interesting angles and lights that he captured, and he briefly wondered if he would have had talent as a painter back in Arda had he not been groomed to be the successor of a king. Now that he had been handed over someone else’s photography business and career to step in, he felt a spark of excitement that was new and strangely compelling, urging him to explore more of this. He smiled and returned his focus on the photos in front of him, determined to commit every single photo in his portfolio to his mind so he could do his predecessor justice and start adding his own creative outputs.

In the meantime, Kili stood in the middle of the kitchen and held onto his phone with a desperate grasp, listening to the enraged voice from the other line shouting at him. “What do you mean, you cannot do this anymore?” 

“I’m-” Kili stumbled over his sentence.

“I knew it! It’s gone to your head!”

“Gone to my head?”

“Now that you are a big deal a girlfriend is no longer desirable, huh? Do you want to play the field? Don’t lie to me!”

“Listen, Kim. It’s just... this is not what I can do right now. I need some time. Get myself sorted out.”

“You’re a real bastard, Aidan.”

“I’m not! Can we talk about it maybe next week?”

“What is there to talk about? Do you want to end our relationship or not?”

“Kim - I can’t do this, not now...”

“Well, then have a good life.” and the line went silent. Kili stared at the phone in shock.

“Are you alright, Kee?” Fili called out from the living room.

“Ah... I suppose. Yes, I think so.”

“You think so?” Thorin entered the kitchen carrying his empty beer bottle.

“Well.” Kili barked out a short humourless laugh. “There is not much else I can do about this, can I? I don’t want to be with this stranger, whoever she may be, and just thinking about this extremely awkward thing that Fee is going through right now - well, I’d rather just put an arrow straight through it. There is no way that I will shack up with someone that I don’t know at all.”

“Calm down. I know what you mean.” Thorin thought back to his conversation with the tall blonde American actor and sighed. “Still, we must support your brother in his choice, regardless how odd it may seem to us.”

Kili nodded. “Of course, uncle.”

“Of course what?” Fili entered the kitchen.

“Of course we must get some sleep tonight so we are well-rested for our tasks tomorrow.” Thorin checked his blinking phone. “I dread having to go through all the message on this contraption. Why this world prefers to be enslaved to the damn technologies, I will never know. But I guess it’s our price to pay for a new chance of life.” Thorin looked at the time. “Well, it’s time for me to go to bed as well. See you in the morning, boys.”

“Night uncle.” said Kili and Fili together as they watched him go upstairs, heading for the only guest room.

“I guess that leaves me with the sofa in the living room.” Kili yawned as well.

“Aye. Night Kee.”

“Night Fee.” And as his older brother ascended the staircase with slow and measured steps, the dark-haired rascal could not refrain from purring in a low and sultry voice, “Good luck!”

Fili just rolled his eyes in response.

Hannah laid as a still bundle under the bedsheets, and only the soft sounds of inhalation and exhalation could be heard which turned out to be Hawkeye who laid at the foot of the bed with his front paws draped over Hannah’s lower legs. The sight of this set off a wave of nervous flutterings in his stomach, and he had to focus on breathing in and out as he leaned at the door frame for a good while before he summoned up enough courage to cross the threshold. There was something about this picture that disturbed him deeply, the knowledge of full intimacy and love with someone who was not his to claim. Yet he could not stop himself from quietly inching closer to the bed until he could spy the top of her head poking out from under the sheets. Her hair was fanned out over the pillow and framed the left side of her face, contouring and highlighting the delicacy of her forehead and temple down to the tip of her nose. Before he could stop himself, his hand had already reached out to gently brush back a wisp of a lock that rested close to her eyelids. Her lashes trembled under his accidental touch and caused him to gasp and freeze in terror but she continued to sleep peacefully, unaware of the shy glances that her fiance cast along her sleeping form. 

He moved away from the bed to remove his clothing except for his boxers and put on a folded t-shirt from the dresser. Then he carefully felt his way around the bed to the side that was most unoccupied: Although his sight in the dark was much worse now that he was a man, he could sense objects in the dark and avoid bumping into furniture. His one hand felt the soft fabric of the duvet cover, and he sighed in relief as he slipped under the sheets.

His relief only lasted until his elbow brushed up against something warm and soft. A shin, or thigh or arm, it was hard to tell but it was definitely naked skin. Fili felt some slight movement from the body next to him, and whether it was clad in anything at all was a question that instantly terrified him to the very depths of his mind and sent him scrambling out of the bed in panic.

“Mm, Dean?” Hannah’s sleepy voice stilled his movements. 

He shook as he answered in a quiet tone. “Yes, sorry. Go back to sleep. Please.” And then he added, just in case, “I’ll be right there... gotta ... um ...  be right back,” and scurried into the bathroom.

_ What in Mahal’s name was he supposed to do? _ He could feel something besides his insides stirring, and simply being aware of these sensations felt incredibly wrong. And his mind, even though it knew about the customs of this world, kept whispering,  _ If this was an unwed dwarrowdam, you would have already been dragged out of the room and beaten to a pulp by her and your relatives _ . The irony of having his uncle lying in a bed only a few feet away, expecting him to pretend to be in this relationship was not lost on him. He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water in his face, then steeled himself as he looked at his pale shiny face in the mirror. Finally he made a decision, returned to the bedroom and traipsed over to the loveseat that stood under the window next to the dresser. 

He sat down and faked a few ginger coughs as a pretense (more for himself than her), then quietly announced, “I think I’m coming down with something, so I better sleep on the couch tonight.”  There was no sound coming from the bed although Fili could feel Hawkeye lifting his head and staring into his direction.  _ This will have to do _ , he thought to himself and laid his head down to rest, falling asleep almost immediately.

\---

Thorin laid on the guestroom bed, his eyes resting at the ceiling while his mind was running around in circles.

He had gone downstairs to see if his youngest nephew was in the mood to talk only to find him in a heavy sleep, his mouth open and face slack, as if he had not a single care in the world. He had always envied Kili’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep anywhere, and he wondered if the childlike enthusiasm may be the reason why his youngest nephew was always so peaceful in sleep. Perhaps Fili and himself worried enough for the dark-haired princeling.

He had started to listen to the numerous voicemail messages on his cell phone but after a few from his manager and several ‘call-me-back-asap’ from his agent ( _ what was the difference between a manager and an agent, anyways?) _ , he had hung up the phone feeling overwhelmed and despondent, unsure how he could wade through all these demands and questions when he was still trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with his new life. The fates may have had a specific part for him to play but they had not been forthcoming with any details at all.

He sighed. There was little doubt that he would be adding an new set of expressions of exasperation to his current repertoire. Back in Middle Earth, he had five types of sighs: One, whenever he watched his nephews get into trouble; one, for any tedious tasks that Balin had come up with for him; one, for all the times when someone disturbed his brooding; another one that was only for his ears and uttered in solitude; and one that had been reserved for Bilbo, unique in that it needed to express the mix of confusion, irritation, curiosity and fondness that he felt whenever he was perplexed by the company burglar. Thinking of the hobbit did not settle his thoughts, and with a new kind of sigh he resigned himself to a long night of contemplating unresolvable matters at hand.


	9. And It Hits Me Like Never Before

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will. Not. Give. Up. On This.

It was awkward the next morning. 

Fili had snuck out of the room at first light, too nervous to fall asleep in the bedroom, tossing and turning until he finally gathered his blanket and pillow and joined his brother on the sofa downstairs where he finally passed out for a few hours of fitful sleep. That is, until Hannah found them just before she left for work. 

The surprised look on her face turned quickly to one of caution and suspicion, and when Fili struggled to disengage himself from his blanket and Kili’s limbs, she had already turned around and walked through the front door, not sparing a moment to look back at him or hear an explanation.

He found his uncle already up and reading the news on his phone while sipping on a cup of coffee. One look and Thorin got up from his chair to retrieve a cup from the cupboard for his oldest nephew. 

“What happened?”

“She found me this morning asleep with Kili.”

“You must know how this might look like to her?”

“Yes, I am well aware of this.” grumbled Fili.

“Make it right then.” Thorin demanded.

“I wish it was that easy, uncle. I ... I like her but yesterday night was just too much. I made a fool out of myself, and in turn probably made her feel like a bigger fool.” Fili hung his head. “And I have no solution for this.”

Thorin took the last sip of his coffee and played with the handle of his empty cup. “Then we must leave today. Before she returns and has more questions for you or for us. Stay away until you can sort out your emotions, boy.”

The blonde dwarrow sighed. “I worry that this might end up being the blunder which I will regret the most.”

“Fili.” The older dwarrow grasped his nephew’s shoulder. “If you stay, you will lose her.”

“I know.” Fili set his coffee back on the counter and trudged up the stairs where his suitcase still sat in the bedroom closet, waiting to be unpacked and now re-packed.

They were out of the houses within the hour, their departure punctuated with complaints from Kili who tried to make the case for staying past lunch at least but Thorin nixed the idea, citing numerous commitments that could no longer wait until they were fully acclimatized. He harrumphed and called his younger nephew ‘ridiculous and ludicrous’ when he made sly suggestions about the reason for the hastiness being  _ who  _ resided in London. Still, Thorin could not help but smile when he thought that they would be landing at the Heathrow airport in less than 24 hours.

At the airport Fili checked in his suitcase; his camera and accessories were safely stored away in his padded carry on bag along with a small binder that contained his best portfolio works. All actors of the Hobbit trilogy were due for some ADR work in the London studios but in addition to the voicework Dean had also received an invitation by one of the newer London galleries to show his portfolio and discuss an exhibit later in the year.

Kili was still uncertain about his next steps and decided to explore the city while he stayed at his uncle’s new apartment, and it was assumed that Fili’s was going to do the same now that he had decided to take some additional time off from his well-established life in New Zealand. 

What they did not expect was an almost empty apartment. Sure, there was a queen-sized bed and a futon along with a coffee table, and standard appliances such as the stove, fridge and washing machine with a dryer stood where expected but the place was remarkably devoid of any other types of furnishings or personal touches.

“Um, where are your chairs, uncle? Table? Cushions, books, shelves, vases, you know, all this stuff that would make a place feel like a, well, lived-in place.”

“Hm. I don’t remember.” Thorin took his phone out of the pocket and scrolled through his numbers rather aimlessly until he settled on his manager’s number. “Perhaps she’ll know what happened with my ... things?” He wandered into the bedroom with the phone pressed to his ear while Fili stepped up to the window in the living room to take a look at the view.

“Not bad - I can see the Thames from here. Come take a look. Kee?” His brother was staring down his own cell phone, furiously tapping away on his keypad until Fili peered over his shoulder.

“Hey, it’s private, you know?” Kili groused.

“Oh yeah? Do you want proof that you are  _ still _ no match for me?” - “No way!” - “Watch me then.” Fili lunged at Kili’s phone and they tumbled to the ground, wrestling.

“Seriously, lads.” Their uncle came back into the living room, looking a bit out of sorts.

“He started it!” Kili accused, scrambling to climb out from under Fili. “Got an answer from your inquiries?”

“Not yet. I am waiting for my personal assistant to call me back - according to my manager, I have one in London?”

“D’you suppose he’s going to be like Balin?”

“I don’t think they serve the same function... the position sounded rather like one of a scribe / chamberlain / personal guard. Besides, I think it is a young female.”

“A young female Balin then.” Fili rolled his eyes at Kili’s carefree deductions.

“Uncle, perhaps we should...”

“Ah, hello?” Thorin was on the phone again. “Is this Martin? No? May I speak to Martin please?”

His nephews groaned.

\---

“Guys, don’t you have something to do? London is a big city, I do not expect you to follow me around like puppies. You are adult men after all.”

“Nice try, uncle.” Fili was walking next to Thorin while Kili bounced around them, looking in as many different directions as possible while he was musing over his thoughts aloud. “Don’t bother trying to get rid of us.”

“Fee’s right, you know.” 

Thorin grumbled.

“It doesn’t matter how much you want to be left alone, we would be remiss in our duties if we let you and Bilbo on a night out alone.”

“It  _ know _ it’s not Bilbo - you are aware that it’s Martin whom we’re meeting for dinner, right?” Thorin’s was too nervous to be mad.

“We know but do you know that, uncle?” Fili stopped Thorin with a light grip on his elbow and looked him in the eyes. “You have to let him go.” They both knew who the younger dwarrow referred to as ‘him’.

“I don’t have to let him go because he was never mine!” the dwarrow roared before he remembered to calm down. “I... I just miss him a little, you know? Martin is just ... but when I see him and hear him talk, I can for a moment relive all the good memories of Bilbo and I.” He swallowed. “I don’t want to forget him.”

“And you will not forget him. None of us will.” Fili reached out and gave his uncle and brother a hug.

“Not while you are still pining over him, uncle.” Kili was relentless. “Perhaps trying to retrieve most of your possessions that you have sent aboard a ship bound for New York will be a good distraction.”

Thorin groaned.

\---

Martin’s family was lovely. Even Thorin had to admit it.

They had a wonderful dinner at a fun family place, and while the Freeman kids were busy for most of the evening running around the indoor playground with Thorin’s nephews, the dwarrow got along surprisingly well with Martin’s wife. They both eventually teamed up to tease the hobbit actor about many of his odd but charming mannerisms (including, for instance, the way Martin wore his manly shoulder bags - slung quite high, reminiscent of a bass player playing his instrument like a pianist).

As the three Durin men returned to Richard’s apartment late at night, it was of course Kili who asked the pertinent question. Unfortunately, the answer was still “Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no, I just realised that I forgot about Hawkeye! Let's just assume that a friendly old neighbour comes by and takes him on at least two walks every day, and that Hannah returned to the home to stay there while the Durins travel to London...

**Author's Note:**

> When I started this story, I did not think that it would be necessary but reading [Savlia_G's piece](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1009670) got me thinking that it would not be a bad idea to include a disclaimer. So...
> 
> _Disclaimer: This story comes from the recesses of my mind and as such, any of the characters' traits, behaviours, thoughts and opinions are completely fictional. Any similarities to the actual persons with the same name are absolutely, indubitably and incredibly accidental. Actually, any detection of future similarities or parallelism should be followed up swiftly with a trip to the nearest store for the purpose of obtaining a lottery ticket because you are obviously one lucky fellow._
> 
> With gratitude to Tolkien, Jackson / Walsh / Boyens and the actors etc. for creating characters that stuck to my brain and heart.


End file.
